Distributed network data usage metering across authorized personal devices

ABSTRACT

One embodiment provides a method, including: establishing, using a wireless wide area network (WWAN) device of an electronic device, a WWAN connection; communicating, using the WWAN device, data over the WWAN connection; tethering, using the WWAN device and a wireless local area network (WLAN) device of the electronic device, another user device; communicating, using a processor of the electronic device, data according to the tethering; and determining, using a processor of the electronic device, a separate data usage value for data communicated over the WWAN for the another user device. Other aspects are described and claimed.

BACKGROUND

Electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, and smart phones connect tocommunication networks to send and/or receive data, e.g., files, webpages, streaming media, etc. Various communication networks exist. Forexample, local area networks (LANs) (including wireless LANs, “WLANs”)are available and conventionally have been utilized to connect to theInternet. Conventionally desktops and laptops connected to the Internetas a communication network, e.g., via a wireless access point thatconnects a laptop via a WLAN connection (also referred to as “Wi-Fi®”connection). Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance inthe United States and other countries.

Smart phones, in addition to a WLAN capability, often include othercommunication capabilities. Among these is a wireless wide area network(WWAN) communication capability and short range wireless communicationcapabilities (e.g., BLUETOOTH wireless communication, near fieldcommunication, radio frequency identification (RFID) communication,etc.). BLUETOOTH is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc., inthe United States and other countries.

Use of a smart phone or tablet device, i.e., a device capable ofconnecting to a WWAN, to act as a hotspot or tethering device is known.In this case, a first device capable of communicating, e.g., via a WWAN,such as a 4G telecommunications network, acts as a connection pointthrough which another device (e.g., laptop personal computer, etc.) maysend and receive data. This process is referred to as tethering, wherebya device such as a smart phone acts to tether another device, e.g., alaptop, to a network, e.g., a WWAN, facilitating network connectivityfor the laptop via a network type with which it normally does notcommunicate. The tethering is accomplished by virtue of the smart phoneconnecting to the WWAN and in turn to the laptop, e.g., via a WLANconnection. The laptop can then send and receive data via the smartphone through the WWAN connection to the broader network.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In summary, one aspect provides a method, comprising: establishing,using a wireless wide area network (WWAN) device of an electronicdevice, a WWAN connection; communicating, using the WWAN device, dataover the WWAN connection; tethering, using the WWAN device and awireless local area network (WLAN) device of the electronic device,another user device; communicating, using a processor of the electronicdevice, data according to the tethering; and determining, using aprocessor of the electronic device, a separate data usage value for datacommunicated over the WWAN for the another user device.

Another aspect provides an electronic device, comprising: a processor; awireless wide area network (WWAN) device operatively coupled to theprocessor; a wireless local area network device (WLAN) operativelycoupled to the processor; a memory device comprising instructionsexecutable by the processor to: establish, using the wireless wide areanetwork (WWAN) device, a WWAN connection; communicate, using the WWANdevice, data over the WWAN connection; tether, using the WWAN device anda wireless local area network (WLAN) device e, another user device;communicate data according to the tethering; and determine a separatedata usage value for data communicated over the WWAN for the anotheruser device.

A further aspect provides a product, comprising: a storage device havingcode stored therewith, the code being executable by a processor andcomprising: code that establishes, using a wireless wide area network(WWAN) device of an electronic device, a WWAN connection; code thatcommunicates, using the WWAN device, data over the WWAN connection; codethat tethers, using the WWAN device and a wireless local area network(WLAN) device of the electronic device, another user device; code thatcommunicates, using a processor of the electronic device, data accordingto the tethering; and code that determines, using a processor of theelectronic device, a separate data usage value for data communicatedover the WWAN for the another user device.

The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications,generalizations, and omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is notintended to be in any way limiting.

For a better understanding of the embodiments, together with other andfurther features and advantages thereof, reference is made to thefollowing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of information handling device circuitry.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example of information handling devicecircuitry.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example set up process for a smart phone or likemobile device.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example process for a laptop computer or likemobile device.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of tethering and automated synchronizationof network connection details.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of sharing network connection details.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of distributed network data usagemetering.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It will be readily understood that the components of the embodiments, asgenerally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may bearranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations inaddition to the described example embodiments. Thus, the following moredetailed description of the example embodiments, as represented in thefigures, is not intended to limit the scope of the embodiments, asclaimed, but is merely representative of example embodiments.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” (or the like) means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearance of the phrases “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment” or the like in various placesthroughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to thesame embodiment.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In thefollowing description, numerous specific details are provided to give athorough understanding of embodiments. One skilled in the relevant artwill recognize, however, that the various embodiments can be practicedwithout one or more of the specific details, or with other methods,components, materials, et cetera. In other instances, well knownstructures, materials, or operations are not shown or described indetail to avoid obfuscation.

Conventional tethering techniques offer a device, such as a laptop ordesktop computer, that lacks a WWAN communication device (and hence thecapability of connecting to a WWAN), the opportunity to nonetheless sendand receive data via a WWAN by tethering with a smart phone. However,most users are unaware that they may use a smart phone or other WWANcapable device in such a fashion. Moreover, even if a user is generallyaware of the concept of tethering, finding the appropriate interface andconfiguring the appropriate settings is cumbersome and in practice notpossible for many users. Further, even if a user manages to properlytether devices, difficulties remain with respect to security and datatransmission rates and amounts.

Accordingly, an embodiment automates the tethering process for a user'spersonal devices. Using an embodiment, a user completes a simpleregistration process to create a list of known devices that arepermitted to participate in tethering. For example, a user may indicatethat a personal laptop and/or tablet is/are permitted to tether via theuser's smart phone to establish a WWAN connection.

After completion of this registration, an embodiment facilitates anautomated tethering process to tether the user's device(s) automaticallybased on a policy. For example, an embodiment may determine that thereis no available Wi-Fi® connection and automatically tether the user'slaptop to the available WAN connection, i.e., available to the smartphone, e.g., also carried by the user. The tethered connection may beautomatically established, secure (e.g., password protected, encrypted)and monitored (e.g., for data transmission rates and amounts), such thatthe user need not bother with cumbersome steps and related issuesconventionally encountered with tethering. This permits all or a sub-setof the user's devices (at the user's discretion) to achieve networkconnectivity automatically based simply on proximity to a connecteddevice. A smart phone centric description follows, as this is currentlythe device typically carried by a user offering the broadest networkcoverage (i.e., WWAN connectivity); however, it will be readily apparentto those having ordinary skill in the art that other devices mayaccomplish the processing attributed to the smart phone in the examplesused herein.

In addition, an embodiment facilitates active synchronization of learnednetwork communication details via an automated exchange of networkconnection data. By way of example, an embodiment facilitates theprocess by which an available Wi-Fi® connection is established, even ifother user device(s) are not aware of the connection details required toestablish the session. In an embodiment, this is facilitated via shortrange wireless communication to exchange WLAN details with trusteddevices. This permits the user's devices to promote a Wi-Fi® firstprotocol, by which a Wi-Fi network connection known to any of the user'sdevices is shared across the user's devices, eliminating the need to usea WWAN connection (and potentially accruing unnecessary data charges).

An embodiment also permits a user to tether, via another device (e.g.,his or her smart phone), a WWAN network connection without worrying thathe or she will overrun or “max out” his or her data plan using the WWAN.By way of example, a user device (e.g., the user's smart phone) not onlyfacilitates tethering of other user devices to the WWAN connection(e.g., a laptop that does not have a WWAN communication capabilityconfigured), but also monitors the network traffic such that the user isaware of how much WWAN data has been used, how quickly the WWAN data isbeing used, etc. The user may adjust his or her tethering policysettings as desired, but an embodiment may act to automatically warn auser that the data transmission is exceeding a predetermined rate, apredetermined amount, or both. This permits a user to be aware that theyare using available WWAN data rapidly and/or are approaching a data rateor amount limit. An embodiment may take automatic actions based on therate and/or amount of data that is transmitted, e.g., warning the user,throttling the user (with associated notification), terminating the WWANconnection, etc., for one or more devices, applications, etc.

The illustrated example embodiments will be best understood by referenceto the figures. The following description is intended only by way ofexample, and simply illustrates certain example embodiments.

While various other circuits, circuitry or components may be utilized ininformation handling devices, with regard to smart phone and/or tabletcircuitry 100, an example illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a system on achip design found for example in tablet or other mobile computingplatforms. Software and processor(s) are combined in a single chip 110.Processors comprise internal arithmetic units, registers, cache memory,busses, I/O ports, etc., as is well known in the art. Internal bussesand the like depend on different vendors, but essentially all theperipheral devices (120) may attach to a single chip 110. The circuitry100 combines the processor, memory control, and I/O controller hub allinto a single chip 110. Also, systems 100 of this type do not typicallyuse SATA or PCI or LPC. Common interfaces, for example, include SDIO andI2C.

There are power management chip(s) 130, e.g., a battery management unit,BMU, which manage power as supplied, for example, via a rechargeablebattery 140, which may be recharged by a connection to a power source(not shown). In at least one design, a single chip, such as 110, is usedto supply BIOS like functionality and DRAM memory.

System 100 typically includes one or more of a wireless wide areanetwork (WWAN) transceiver 150 and a wireless local area network (WLAN)transceiver 160 for connecting to various networks, such astelecommunications networks (WAN) and wireless Internet devices, e.g.,access points offering a Wi-Fi® connection. Additionally, devices 120are commonly included, e.g., short range wireless communication devices,such as a BLUETOOTH radio, a BLUETOOTH LE radio, a near fieldcommunication device, etc., as further described herein. System 100often includes a touch screen 170 for data input and display/rendering.System 100 also typically includes various memory devices, for exampleflash memory 180 and SDRAM 190.

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of another example of informationhandling device circuits, circuitry or components. The example depictedin FIG. 2 may correspond to computing systems such as the THINKPADseries of personal computers sold by Lenovo (US) Inc. of Morrisville,N.C., or other devices. As is apparent from the description herein,embodiments may include other features or only some of the features ofthe example illustrated in FIG. 2.

The example of FIG. 2 includes a so-called chipset 210 (a group ofintegrated circuits, or chips, that work together, chipsets) with anarchitecture that may vary depending on manufacturer (for example,INTEL, AMD, ARM, etc.). INTEL is a registered trademark of IntelCorporation in the United States and other countries. AMD is aregistered trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. in the UnitedStates and other countries. ARM is an unregistered trademark of ARMHoldings plc in the United States and other countries. The architectureof the chipset 210 includes a core and memory control group 220 and anI/O controller hub 250 that exchanges information (for example, data,signals, commands, etc.) via a direct management interface (DMI) 242 ora link controller 244. In FIG. 2, the DMI 242 is a chip-to-chipinterface (sometimes referred to as being a link between a “northbridge”and a “southbridge”). The core and memory control group 220 include oneor more processors 222 (for example, single or multi-core) and a memorycontroller hub 226 that exchange information via a front side bus (FSB)224; noting that components of the group 220 may be integrated in a chipthat supplants the conventional “northbridge” style architecture. One ormore processors 222 comprise internal arithmetic units, registers, cachememory, busses, I/O ports, etc., as is well known in the art.

In FIG. 2, the memory controller hub 226 interfaces with memory 240 (forexample, to provide support for a type of RAM that may be referred to as“system memory” or “memory”). The memory controller hub 226 furtherincludes a low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) interface 232 for adisplay device 292 (for example, a CRT, a flat panel, touch screen,etc.). A block 238 includes some technologies that may be supported viathe LVDS interface 232 (for example, serial digital video, HDMI/DVI,display port). The memory controller hub 226 also includes a PCI-expressinterface (PCI-E) 234 that may support discrete graphics 236.

In FIG. 2, the I/O hub controller 250 includes a SATA interface 251 (forexample, for HDDs, SDDs, etc., 280), a PCI-E interface 252 (for example,for wireless connections 282), a USB interface 253 (for example, fordevices 284 such as a digitizer, keyboard, mice, cameras, phones,microphones, storage, other connected devices, etc.), a networkinterface 254 (for example, LAN), a GPIO interface 255, a LPC interface270 (for ASICs 271, a TPM 272, a super I/O 273, a firmware hub 274, BIOSsupport 275 as well as various types of memory 276 such as ROM 277,Flash 278, and NVRAM 279), a power management interface 261, a clockgenerator interface 262, an audio interface 263 (for example, forspeakers 294), a TCO interface 264, a system management bus interface265, and SPI Flash 266, which can include BIOS 268 and boot code 290.The I/O hub controller 250 may include gigabit Ethernet support.

The system, upon power on, may be configured to execute boot code 290for the BIOS 268, as stored within the SPI Flash 266, and thereafterprocesses data under the control of one or more operating systems andapplication software (for example, stored in system memory 240). Anoperating system may be stored in any of a variety of locations andaccessed, for example, according to instructions of the BIOS 268. Asdescribed herein, a device may include fewer or more features than shownin the system of FIG. 2.

Information handling device circuitry, as for example outlined in FIG. 1or FIG. 2, may be used in devices such as tablets, smart phones, andpersonal computer devices generally. In some cases, certain devicecircuitry, e.g., that of FIG. 2, will include devices for connecting toa particular communication network, e.g., LAN or WLAN, but not another,e.g., WAN or WWAN. Whereas in other devices, e.g., a smart phone ortable, the circuitry (such as that outlined in FIG. 1) includes a WWANcommunication capability. An embodiment operates on one or a combinationof these devices such that an appropriate available network is utilizedto achieve network connectivity for all the user's devices in anautomated fashion.

Referring to FIG. 3, an example of a registration or set up process isillustrated. On a first device, e.g., a user's smart phone, a user opensan application user interface to display settings at 301. Theapplication may be integrated into the operating system of the device,e.g., ANDROID operating system, such that the application has super(administrative) user authority or “root” authority. This may benecessary such that the application or service has access to data, e.g.,service set identification (SSID) and related passwords in unencryptedform, as further described herein. ANDROID is a registered trademark ofGoogle, Inc., in the United States and other countries.

When the user opens the settings at 301, which may be as simple asopening the application for the first time, the user is prompted ornotified to set up the tethering application at 302. If the user selectsto set up the application at 303, the tethering application begins torun and asks the user for a name to identify the tethering service at304, e.g., the user's first name. The user may change the name enteredat any point in time. Alternatively, the user need not change thedefault/system generated name; however, not doing so may complicate theprocess, as more fully explained herein.

Responsive to the user input of a name identifying the tethering serviceat 304, the application changes the name of the device's hot spot (e.g.,SSID associated with a smart phone) at 305 to the name entered by theuser. The application may also change the name of a short range wirelesscapability of the device (e.g., BLUETOOTH name associated with the smartphone) at 304. The same or different names may be utilized; however, forconvenience the user may select or input the same name for each.

Once the user has updated the name(s) of the hot spot and short rangewireless services offered by the device, these names will berecognizable to the user and available for later entry or selection, asfurther described herein. At any time, the user may open the applicationand settings, e.g., as illustrated at 301, and input a new name and/orpassword or code for the SSID and/or BLUETOOTH communication services ofthe device, e.g., smart phone. If so, similar to the input of a name forthe first time, this will update a list (e.g., table) of known devicesstored in memory, e.g., a memory device of the smart phone or accessiblethereto. In the event that the user does update either the names orpasswords for the smart phone's SSID and/or BLUETOOTH services, thesechanges will need to be propagated to other devices wishing tocommunicate using the same, as further described herein.

Once the user has initiated the service on the first device, e.g., asexplained by way of example with reference to a user's smart phone inconnection with FIG. 3, the user may set up his or her other device(s)such that they may tether through the service on the first device. Byway of example, FIG. 4 outlines a process by which the user may set putanother device, e.g., a laptop computer, such that the laptop computermay become a known device to both automatically tether to a WWAN networkvia the smart phone and/or automatically learn WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi®)details for connecting to an unknown WLAN, i.e., as informed by thephone.

In an embodiment, a user downloads (or otherwise acquires) a tetheringservice application for another device, e.g., laptop computer, at 401.Downloading the tethering application is by no means a requirement, asthe application or service may be pre-installed or otherwise acquired.However, it is noted here that the user may download the application at401 in order to illustrate that the tether service version running onthe other device of the user (which incidentally becomes “known” to thefirst device (e.g., smart phone) via the process outlined in FIG. 4 (orlike process)) need not have super user or “root” authority and thusneed not be integrated into the operating system or otherwise undergo astrict evaluation or quality assurance processing, as per applicationsobtaining such authority on the device.

The user may then start the tethering application on the known deviceand the application notifies (e.g., prompts) the user at 402 to startthe tethering application on the first device (in this case, his or hersmart phone, as per the example of FIG. 3) if the application is notalready running on the first device. This is indicated at 403, i.e., theuser runs the tether application on the first device, at which point thefirst device (e.g., smart phone in this example) operates its shortrange wireless service at 404, e.g., BLUETOOTH service, such that itsBLUETOOTH name is broadcast to surrounding devices and/or may bedisplayed at the first device.

At the other device, i.e., the laptop in this non-limiting example, theapplication running thereon turns on a short range wireless radio, e.g.,BLUETOOTH radio, and scans for other BLUETOOTH devices in the vicinityat 405. This will allow the application to provide a list of in rangeBLUETOOTH devices at 405. This list will include, by virtue of havingthe tethering application running on the smart phone, the name enteredby the user (or the default name, if no name change was conducted perthe example of FIG. 3) for the tethering service. The applicationversion running on the other device (i.e., the laptop in thisnon-limiting example) will then ask the user to enter or select the nameof the tethering service on the smart phone version of the tetheringapplication at 406.

Once the user has successfully entered or provided the name of the smartphone's tethering application, i.e., the name the user selected per theexample of FIG. 3, the other device tethering application and the smartphone tethering application pair and connect, e.g., via BLUETOOTHcommunication (or like suitable short range wireless communication) at407, 408. This acts to pass control data between the other device (e.g.,laptop computer) and the first device (e.g., smart phone) such that apairing and connection is established. As part of this process, thefirst device (e.g., smart phone) receives control data including thename of the other device such that this may be stored at 409, e.g., thesmart phone stores the short range wireless identification name (e.g.,BLUETOOTH name) of the other device it its list of known devices.

Having established a pairing and connection using short range wirelesscommunication, the first device (e.g., smart phone) may share with theknown device any control data that is required at 410, e.g., SSID andpasswords for known WLANs known to the smart phone, such that these arestored at the known device at 411. Likewise, the known device may sendany learned SSIDs/passwords for WLANs to the first device, e.g., since alast synchronization, if any, at 412 such that these are stored by thefirst device at 413.

The initiated first device (e.g., smart phone) and known device(s)(e.g., laptop computer) may now automatically tether to use a WWAN,e.g., as facilitated by the smart phone, as well as update one anotherof known WLAN connections, e.g., Wi-Fi® SSIDs and passwords learned overtime. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of operation to tether a knowndevice using the first device and an example of connecting to a WLAN andupdating other devices of connection details regarding the same.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, at a time 501, e.g., a predetermined timeand/or according to a policy, such as on first device (e.g., smartphone) waking, a user implemented name change, etc., the first devicedetermines if there is any known WLAN available for connection at 502.This processing may be included to promote connection via WLAN as apreference over WWAN data, as the latter is currently more expensive.

If a WLAN is available, e.g., a Wi-Fi® connection for which the smartphone knows the password, as determined at 502, the smart phone connectsto the WLAN at 503 and a call is made at 504 to update the knowndevices, e.g., using BLUETOOTH wireless or other short range wirelesscommunication. By way of example, if the smart phone is capable ofconnecting to the WLAN, but the laptop computer (known to the smartphone and in range of a short range wireless communication capability ofthe smart phone) cannot connect to the WLAN, the smart phone may providecontrol data in the form of connection details to the laptop computer toconnect to the WLAN successfully. This may be performed automaticallysuch that the user need not browse WLAN connection settings and inputthe data manually. After such control data is passed between devices at504, the smart phone may sleep the tethering application at 505.

If no known WLAN is available at 502, as determined by the smart phonein this example, an automated tethering process is implemented. By wayof example, a connection is made (or maintained) to the WWAN by thesmart phone at 506. As described herein, the laptop computer may not becapable of directly connecting to the WWAN (or may not be capable ofconveniently connecting to the WWAN). In such a case, the smart phonemay tether the laptop to the WWAN, as further described.

The smart phone first determines, e.g., via scanning with a short rangewireless communication capability, e.g., BLUETOOTH short range wirelesscapability, for known devices, e.g., those registered according to aprocess outlined in FIG. 4. If no known devices are within range, thetethering application may sleep at 507. However, if it is determinedthat there are one or more known devices detectable by the smart phone'stethering application, as illustrated at 507, an embodiment operates toturn on the smart phone as a hot spot for the known device(s) such thatthey may connect to the WWAN via the smart phone at 509. This mayinclude transmission of control data via short range wirelesscommunication, e.g., BLUETOOTH communication between the smart phone andlaptop computer, such that the laptop computer is apprised that thesmart phone is available as a hot spot. This may include, for example,displaying an option on the laptop computer that the phone is availableas a WLAN connection. The control data may also automate the tetheringprocess for the user. The control data includes for example connectiondetails for tethering to the WWAN.

After the laptop is tethered to the smart phone and thus the WWAN, thesmart phone facilitates network communication for the laptop using itsWWAN connection and exchanges data with the laptop computer, e.g., usingWLAN communication to act as a hot spot for the laptop computer.Thereafter, the tethering application on the smart phone may update anydetails (e.g., via storage of network connection details in a table orlist) at 508.

The process of updating known devices of available WLAN connections, andsynchronizing devices in terms of connection data and details, e.g., asillustrated at 505 of FIG. 5, may be carried out via a synchronizationsub-routine, an example of which is outlined in FIG. 6.

In FIG. 6, a known device, e.g., a laptop computer, awakes at 601 anddetermines, at 602, if there are any known WLAN connections available,e.g., if a previously known Wi-Fi® access point is within range. If so,the known device connects to the WLAN as conventionally known at 607.However, if there are no known WLAN connections available, the knowndevice may determine at 603 if there are any other known devices, e.g.,a smart phone of the user, within range of a short range wirelesscommunication capability, e.g., BLUETOOTH communication range.

If so, the known device establishes a short range wireless connectionwith the smart phone, e.g., establishing a BLUETOOTH connection with apreviously paired smart phone. Once connected using a short rangewireless capability, the smart phone sends network connection detailsregarding a WLAN connection that is available and known to the phone,but not the laptop computer at 604. This in turn permits the knowndevice to update its store of WLAN connection data at 605 such that itmay establish a connection with the available WLAN at 607, in a similarprocess to that which the known device would have undertaken had itpreviously connected with the available WLAN.

The known device may share any available WLAN connection details withthe smart phone such that the smart phone may maintain synchronizationwith the laptop computer, e.g., store the network connection details at606. The smart phone then may connect to (if it had not already done so)the WLAN itself at 608.

As described herein, use of WWAN tethering may increase the amount ofdata a user transmits and/or receives via a WWAN account. Accordingly,users at the very least may want to be apprised of their data usage. Anembodiment intelligently monitors data usage such that users are awareand proactively involved in their data consumption.

For example, an embodiment may provide default values for thresholdsused to implement actions to manage WWAN data consumption. By way ofexample, and referring to FIG. 7, an embodiment may set defaultthresholds for total data usage in a predetermined time at 701, e.g.,per month, and/or data usage rate, such that a user does not exceed hisor her data plan limits. A user may adjust the thresholds at any time,e.g., in terms of amount and timing (e.g., reset date).

An embodiment may thus monitor at 702 WWAN data usage via an applicationrunning on the smart phone, for example, as this is the likely devicethat tethers the others to the WWAN. If the monitoring at 702 revealsthat the WWAN data usage is approaching a predetermined limit or cap,e.g., crosses a threshold lower than the cap (and like thresholds may beused for data consumption rate, etc.), as determined at 703, anembodiment may take one or more predetermined actions at 704.

By way of example, if a data limit threshold is set at 701 (by defaultor by a user) as “x” GB, the threshold for warning may be set asxGB>Warning Threshold (GB). Likewise, if a predetermined action includesnot simply warning the user but proactively terminating a WWANconnection, an embodiment may implement this action at a differentthreshold, e.g., at or above xGB. Similarly, thresholds for warning,slowing or terminating WWAN data consumption may be set by default andoptionally modified by a user such that a warning or other appropriateaction takes place, e.g., issuing a warning if data streaming occursover the WWAN connection at 500 KB/sec for 30 seconds.

The thresholds may take timing into consideration as well. For example,an embodiment may start data monitoring at the start of a billing cycleor may default to start at the first day of each month. A user may wishto be apprised if the tethering has automatically started, as this mayimpact which types of data they wish to receive and/or transmit.Accordingly, in an embodiment, a device, e.g., a smart phone, may send anotification to each device when tethering is active. This may include avisual notification or indication, e.g., displayed on the phone and/orprovided by the device that is tethered.

Accordingly, the various embodiments provide for automated networkconnection facilitated by a group of two or more user devices workingtogether to establish a network connection. In certain embodiments, thisincludes establishing a tethering connection in an automated orsemi-automated fashion. In an embodiment, devices synchronize theirnetwork connection details such that available network details are knownto all devices in communication, e.g., via short range wirelesscommunication. Also, an embodiment facilitates user control overtethering such that data usage may be monitored and controlled.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, various aspects may beembodied as a system, method or device program product. Accordingly,aspects may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment or anembodiment including software that may all generally be referred toherein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects maytake the form of a device program product embodied in one or more devicereadable medium(s) having device readable program code embodiedtherewith.

It should be noted that the various functions described herein may beimplemented using instructions stored on a device readable storagemedium such as a non-signal storage device that are executed by aprocessor. A storage device may be, for example, an electronic,magnetic, electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, ordevice, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specificexamples of a storage medium would include the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), amagnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing.In the context of this document, a storage device is not a signal and“non-transitory” includes all media except signal media.

Program code for carrying out operations may be written in anycombination of one or more programming languages. The program code mayexecute entirely on a single device, partly on a single device, as astand-alone software package, partly on single device and partly onanother device, or entirely on the other device. In some cases, thedevices may be connected through any type of connection or network,including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), orthe connection may be made through other devices (for example, throughthe Internet using an Internet Service Provider), through wirelessconnections, e.g., near-field communication, or through a hard wireconnection, such as over a USB connection.

Example embodiments are described herein with reference to the figures,which illustrate example methods, devices and program products accordingto various example embodiments. It will be understood that the actionsand functionality may be implemented at least in part by programinstructions. These program instructions may be provided to a processorof a device, a special purpose information handling device, or otherprogrammable data processing device to produce a machine, such that theinstructions, which execute via a processor of the device implement thefunctions/acts specified.

It is worth noting that while specific blocks are used in the figures,and a particular ordering of blocks has been illustrated, these arenon-limiting examples. In certain contexts, two or more blocks may becombined, a block may be split into two or more blocks, or certainblocks may be re-ordered or re-organized as appropriate, as the explicitillustrated examples are used only for descriptive purposes and are notto be construed as limiting.

As used herein, the singular “a” and “an” may be construed as includingthe plural “one or more” unless clearly indicated otherwise.

This disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration anddescription but is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art. The example embodiments were chosen and described in orderto explain principles and practical application, and to enable others ofordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for variousembodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particularuse contemplated.

Thus, although illustrative example embodiments have been describedherein with reference to the accompanying figures, it is to beunderstood that this description is not limiting and that various otherchanges and modifications may be affected therein by one skilled in theart without departing from the scope or spirit of the disclosure.

1. A method, comprising: establishing, using a wireless wide areanetwork (WWAN) device of a user electronic device, a WWAN connection;communicating, using the WWAN device, data over the WWAN connection;automatically tethering, using the WWAN device and a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN) device of the user electronic device, another userdevice, wherein the another user device comprises a user device known bythe user electronic device; communicating, using a processor of the userelectronic device, data according to the tethering; and determining,using a processor of the user electronic device, a separate data usagevalue for the another user device, wherein the separate data usage valuecomprises a value related to data communicated over the WWAN by theanother user device.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:comparing the separate data usage value to a threshold value; and takinga predetermined action responsive to the separate data usage valueexceeding the threshold value.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: determining that the another device is communicating dataselected from the group consisting of URL data, data of a known type,data communicated using a predetermined protocol, data of apredetermined size, and metadata associated with a URL; and taking apredetermined action responsive to determining that the another deviceis communicating the data.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data ofa known type is selected from the group consisting of update data,multimedia data, image data and audio data.
 5. The method of claim 3,wherein the predetermined action is selected from the group consistingof providing a warning, throttling the data communicated over the WWAN,terminating a WLAN connection, and terminating the WWAN connection. 6.The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold value is a predetermineddata amount.
 7. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold value is apredetermined data rate.
 8. The method of claim 2, wherein thepredetermined action is selected from the group consisting of providinga warning, throttling the data communicated over the WWAN, terminating aWLAN connection, and terminating the WWAN connection.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein the warning is communicated to the another user device.10. The method of claim 8, wherein the warning is displayed on the userelectronic device.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the thresholdvalue is user modifiable.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein thethreshold value is adjusted based on a billing cycle of an accountassociated with the WWAN connection.
 13. The method of claim 1, whereinthe determining comprises receiving a data usage value from the anotheruser device.
 14. A user electronic device, comprising: a processor; awireless wide area network (WWAN) device operatively coupled to theprocessor; a wireless local area network device (WLAN) operativelycoupled to the processor; a memory device comprising instructionsexecutable by the processor to: establish, using the wireless wide areanetwork (WWAN) device, a WWAN connection; communicate, using the WWANdevice, data over the WWAN connection; automatically tether, using theWWAN device and a wireless local area network (WLAN) device, anotheruser device, wherein the another user device comprises a user deviceknown by the user electronic device; communicate data according to thetethering; and determine a separate data usage value for the anotheruser device, wherein the separate data usage value comprises a valuerelated to for data communicated over the WWAN by the another userdevice.
 15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the instructionsare further executable by the processor to: compare the separate datausage value to a threshold value; and take a predetermined actionresponsive to the separate data usage value exceeding the thresholdvalue.
 16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the instructionsare further executable by the processor to: determine that the anotherdevice is communicating data selected from the group consisting of URLdata, data of a known type, data communicated using a predeterminedprotocol, data of a predetermined size, and metadata associated with aURL; and take a predetermined action responsive to determining that theanother device is communicating the data.
 17. The electronic device ofclaim 16, wherein the data of a known type is selected from the groupconsisting of update data, multimedia data, image data and audio data.18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the predetermined actionis selected from the group consisting of providing a warning, throttlingthe data communicated over the WWAN, terminating a WLAN connection, andterminating the WWAN connection.
 19. The electronic device of claim 15,wherein the threshold value is a predetermined data amount.
 20. Theelectronic device of claim 15, wherein the threshold value is apredetermined data rate.
 21. The electronic device of claim 15, whereinthe predetermined action is selected from the group consisting ofproviding a warning, throttling the data communicated over the WWAN,terminating a WLAN connection, and terminating the WWAN connection. 22.The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the warning is communicatedto the another user device.
 23. The electronic device of claim 21,wherein the warning is displayed on the user electronic device.
 24. Theelectronic device of claim 14, wherein the threshold value is usermodifiable.
 25. The method of claim 14, wherein the threshold value isadjusted based on a billing cycle of an account associated with the WWANconnection.
 26. A product, comprising: a storage device having codestored therewith, the code being executable by a processor and the codecomprising: code that establishes, using a wireless wide area network(WWAN) device of an electronic device, a WWAN connection; code thatcommunicates, using the WWAN device, data over the WWAN connection; codethat automatically tethers, using the WWAN device and a wireless localarea network (WLAN) device of the user electronic device, another userdevice, wherein the another user device comprises a user device known bythe user electronic device; code that communicates, using a processor ofthe user electronic device, data according to the tethering; and codethat determines, using a processor of the user electronic device, aseparate data usage value for the another user device, wherein theseparate data usage value comprises a value related to data communicatedover the WWAN by the another user device.